Portable crane



J. DYKES.

PORTABLE CRANE. APPLICATION FILED DE( I.26,1919.

llll J3 I Cf/121,56 Q KE Patented Apr; 12, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J DYKES. PORTABLE CR ANE.

APPLICATION HLED DEC. 26. l9I9.

Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

Z'YSHEETS }SHEET 2.

- jltm'ffon JAMES I 0))856.

UNITED srants PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES DYKES, OE MARINETTE, WISCONSIN.

PORTABLE CRANE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES DYKns, a citizen of the United States,residing at Marinette. in the county of Marinette and State oflVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPortable Cranes, of which the following 1s a specification.

This invention relates to portable cranes and more especially to a cranedesigned for employment onrailways in loading flat and other similarcars, and the 1nvent1on 1s designed more particularly as an improvementon the structure shown in my Patent No. 1,213,603, issued January 23,1917:.

One of the objects of the present 1nvention is to provide an improvedmeans for securing the base of the crane upon the track over which thecars to be loaded are to pass, the securing means being constructed tofirmly and rigidly hold the base in place upon the track.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved means forrotatably supporting the boom of the crane upon the mast.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the crane embodying the presentinvention, parts being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a group perspective View illustrating the means provided formounting .the construction of the base and the means provided forsecuring the mast in place thereon will presently be more specificallydescribed.

The mast is indicated in general by the numeral 2 and upstands from theouter end of the base and this mast is preferably of hollow form andinteriorly is tapered from its upper to its lower end asindicated by thenumeral 3, I having found that by thus constructing the mast the samewill. be better adapted to stand the strains to which Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

Application filed December 26, 1919. Serial No. 347,342.

it is subjected in the loading and unloading operations. r The boom isindicated in general by the numeral 4 and the same comprises a T-beamdisposed in inverted position the horizontal wings of this beam beingindicated by the numeral 5 and the vertial wing by the numeral 6, thelatter constituting a rail upon which are adapted to travel wheels 7 ofa hanger 8 to which may be connected any suitable hoisting mechanism aportion of which is indicated by the numeral 9. In this manner thehoisting mechanism is of course arranged to be moved back and forthalong the boom so that the load supported thereby may be suitablymaneuvered in loading it onto and unloading it from the cars. In orderto limit the outward travel of the hanger 8 upon the rail 6, the beamcomprising the boom is provided at its outer end with an upstandingabutment 10 as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. For a shortdistance at the inner end of the boom, the wings 5 are cut away asindicated by the numeral 11 and angle members, indicated by the numeral12, which project in parallel spaced relation from an annular head 13,are disposed to straddle the upstanding wing or rail 6 at the inner endof the boom and are both riveted, or otherwise secured thereto asindicated by the numeral 14:. The horizontally disposed wings of theseangle members 12 form in effect continuations of the inner ends of thewings 5 of the boom and the said wings of the angle members and thewings of the boom are riveted or otherwise secured as indicated by thenumeral 1.5 to the upper side of a bearing member which is indicated ingeneral by the numeral 16. This bearing member comprises a horizontallydisposed.

head 17 and a depending longitudinally extending web 18 the function ofwhich will be presently described. The angle members i 12 serve ofcourse as a means for securing the annular head 13 to the inner end ofthe boom, and this head is designed to encircle the upper end of themast of the crane and to rotate about the same.

. In order that the boom may. be rotatably supported upon the mastthrough the medium of the annular head 13, a collar 19 is fitted ontothe mast near its upper end and is held in place by means of a set screw20 or any other means suitable for the purpose.

The head 13 is interiorly of a diameter greater than the eXternaldiameter of the mast and is disposed to surround the mast above thecollar 19, resting at its lower side upon the upper side of the saidcollar as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Bearing rollers 21are disposed in an annular series within the space between the innercircumference of the head 13 and the exterior surface of the mast 2 andserve to reduce the friction attending the rotation of the head aboutthe mast. A retaining ring 22 is disposed within the upper portion ofthis space and serves to prevent upward displacement of the bearingrollers 21, clownward displacement of the rollers being pre vented bythe collar 19 upon which the said rollers rest at their lower ends.

The inner end of the web 18 lies relatively close to the exteriorsurface of the 1 est 2 and is formed with a series of sockets 23 inwhich are disposed bearing balls 24 which ride against the said exteriorsurface of the mast. The sockets 23 are preferably in the nature oftransverse substantially semi-circular notches and in order to retainthe bearing balls 24 therein, a retaining member such as shown in Fig. 2of the drawings and indicated in general by the numeral 25, is provided.This retaining member. is formed from an integral sheet metal blankwhich is bent to provide side portions 26 and a lower connecting portion27, the member being disposedto straddle the lower side of the web 18 atthe inner end of the web and being secured in place by bolts or rivets28. The side portions 26 of this member close the ends of the notches 23and thus serve to prevent the bearing balls 24 dropping from the saidnotches as stated.

Due to the construction above described, the boom is enabled to supporta heavy load and yet be relatively free to swing angularly about themast, the bearing balls 21 engaging that side of the mast which receivesthe thrust of the member 16, and the roller bearings 21 riding againstthe opposite side of the mast. It will be noted by reference to Fig. 1of the drawings that the portion of the web 18 in which the sockets 23are formed is in effect a projection from the inner end of the said weband provides a shoulder 29 which engages beneath the collar 19 and thusprevents upward displacement of the bearing portion of the boom upon themast.

The base of the device in that form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4inclusive comprises a relatively wide lJ-beam indicated by the numeral30 which beam is disposed in position with its lateral wings 31upstanding in vertical planes, its connectingweb 32 resting upon theupper side of the head of the rail R as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of thedrawings.

Legs 33 are secured at their upper ends to respective ones of the wings31 and are inclined downwardly at such an angle that when the web of thebeam is disposed upon the tread of the track rail, the lower ends of thearm 33 will bear against the outer side of the web of the rail near thebase flange thereof as illustrated in 1. In order to firmly support theouter end of the beam 30,

a sill 3% may be employed and disposed transversely of the ties of thetrack and parallel to the rail R and in position beneath the said end ofthe beam. in order to pre vent the base lifting off the rail clampmembers 35 are provided and these members are in the nature of yokeshaving portions 36 extending transversely of the upper side of the beam30, and depending end portions or arms 37 which have inwardly directedterminals 38 which engage beneath the head of the rail at the oppositesides thereof in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1. The beam 30 is formedin its web 32 with slots 39 and wedge keys 40 are driven into theseslots and bear at their adjacent edges against holding members 39' eachin the nature of a bar disposed against the under side of the beam withone end engaging the arms 37 of the respective locking member and itsopposite edge engaged by therespective wedge 40, these bars beingsupported by means of arms 4:0 carried at their outer ends and havinghooked upper terminals 40* which engage over the upper edges of thelateral wings 31 of the beam 30.

In supporting the mast 2 upon the beam 30, the beam at its end which isto support the said mast has its lateral wings 31 slit vertically andthe beam is then bent along a line transversely of its web 32 to providean upstanding bracing portion 30 having side portions 31 comprisingportions of the lateral wings 31 of the said beam. Diagonal braces 32of'angle or channel iron are riveted or otherwise secured at their lowerand upper ends respectively to the wings 31 and the side portions 31 andserve to brace the member 30 in upright position, rivets 33 being driventhrough the wings 31 and the said side portions 31 where the latteroverlap the former so as to further brace the parts. U-bolts 34 aredisposed to straddle the lower end of the mast 2 and the ends of thesebolts project through openings in the web of the upstanding bracingmember 30 and have nuts 35 threaded thereon, the lower end of the mastbeing in this manner secured to the bracing member 30" and with itslower end resting upon the adjacent por tion of the web 32 of the beam30.

Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings illustrate a modified form of base, thebase in this form being designed especially for use where the crane isto be employed in lifting massive loads, and this base which isindicated in general by the numeral 41, con1- prises a substantiallyU-shaped frame of channel-iron construction supportingat ltS bend a base42 having a step bearing 43 tov receive the lower end of the mast 2. The

base is to be so disposed upon the sills 44 at opposite sides of therail R that the web of the channeliron from which the base is formedwill rest'upon the upper sides of the sills. A cross beam 45 extendsbetween the extremities of the side members of the frame;

In order that the frame 41 may be clamped to the rail It, a' relativelyfixed clamp member 46 is bolted or otherwise secured as at 47 to theunder side of each of the said side members of the frame and is providedwith a downwardly extending portion 48 designed toengage beneath thehead of the rail at one side thereof as shown in Fig. 5. A similarlyformed clamp member 49 is provided with a downwardly extending portion50 which is designed to engage against the other side of the head of therail, and bolts 51 are passed through this clamp member and throughslots 52 formed in the web of the respective side member of the frame,this connection permitting of longitudinal adjustment of the clampmember 49 with relation to the respective side member of the frame andconsequently toward and away from the respective fixed clamp member 46.In order that the member 49 may be caused to bind firmly against therail prior to tightening of the bolts 51, the web of each side member ofthe frame is formed with a slot 53 and the attaching portion of theclamp member 49 is formed with a similar slot 54. A bar or otherimplement may be inserted within these slots and as the slots areinitially out of exact registration and their opposite end walls arerelatively displaceth'the bar or the like may be manipulated so as toexert a leverage against one end wall of the slot 53 and the oppositeend wall of the'slot 54 so as to force the clamp member 49 in thedirection of the rail for the purpose stated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a device of the class described, a

mast, a boom, a head carried atthe inner end of the boom and rotatablyfitting the mast, a collar upon the mast restraining the head fromdownward movement, a bearing member secured to and depending from thehead and the boom and riding against the mast below the collar, the saidbearing member forming a rigid connection between the head and the boomand having a seat in its portion which confronts the mast, and ananti-friction bearing element disposed within the seat. p i

2. In a device of the inner end of the boom and rotatably fitting themast, a collar upon the mast sup porting the head against downwardmovement, a bearing member carried by the boom and, having a web oneedge of which is located contiguous to the mast,the said edge portion ofthe web being formed with a transverse recess, a bearing element seatedin the recess and riding againstthe mast,

and aretaining member having side portrons, thesaid member be ngdisposed to straddle the web with itsside portions closing the oppositeends of the recess.

3. In a device of the class described, a mast, a boom, an annular headcarried at the inner end of the boom and rotatably fitting the mast, acollar upon-the mast supporting the head against downward move ment, anda bearing member carried by the boom and riding against the mast belowthe collar and having a shoulder whereby to prevent upward displacementof the boom upon the mast.

4. In a device of the class described, a base comprising a beam having aweb and upstanding lateral wings, the beam being bent at one end toprovide an upstanding bracing member having a Web and lateral wingsoverlapping the wings of the body of the beam and secured thereto, and amast disposed to rest at its lower end upon the web of the body of thebeam'and at one side the class described, a mast, a boom, an annularhead carried at against the web of the bracing member, and

means securing the mast to the said bracing member. I

5. In a devic of the class described, a base comprising a beam having aweb and upstanding lateral wings, the beam being,

bent at one end to provide an upstanding bracing member having a web andlateral wings overlapping the wings of the body of the beam and securedthereto, and a mast disposed to rest at its lower end upon the ,web ofthe body of the beam and at one side against the web of the bracingmember,

and means securing the mast to the said bracing member, the said meanscomprising U-bolts straddling the lower portion ofthe mast and securedthrough the web of the said bracing member.

6. In a device ofthe class described a base comprising a beamhaving aweb and upstanding lateral wings, the beam being bent at one end toprovide an upstanding bracing member having a web and lateral wingsoverlapping the wings of the body of the beam and secured thereto, and amast disposed to rest at its lower end upon the web of the body of thebeam and at one side against the web 01": the bracing member, meanssecuring the mast to the said bracing member, the said means comprisingU-bolts straddling the lower portion of the mast and secured through theweb ofthe said bracing member, and diagonal bracing members secured attheir lower ends to the wings of the body of the beam and at their upperends to the wings of the bracing member.

7. In a device of the class described, a-

base comprising a beam having a web and upstanding lateral wings,anchoring members comprising yokes disposed to straddle the said beamtransversely and having rail engaging lower ends, holding memberscomprising ars engageable with the anchoring members and slidablysupported upon the beam, and wedges to be driven through the web ofthevsaid beam to urge the holding members into engagement with theanchoring members.

8. In a device of the class described, a base comprising a beam having aweb and 'upstanding lateral wings, anchoring mem-.

bers comprising yokes disposed to straddle the said beam transverselyand having rail engaging lower ends, holding members ture.

JAMES DYKES. [n s.]

